Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-14
THE YANKTON ASYLUM.
Official Report of Public Exam
iner misunderstanding
Facts.
The Trustees Guilty Of Gross Incom-
potency or Fraud-The Gov
ernor's Findings.
AnrnpErs. D. II. June I, 1881.
I, X. Church. Bismarck, Oak. /,

Gov. 1, Il. Church, Bismarck, Oak.
DEAR SR:--I have the pleasure of submit
ting to you the following report concerning
tho affairs gone over by me in my inyestlga-
ton of the Dakota Hospital for the Insane at
Yankton, Dakota:
commenced this investigation May tue 9th
1887, and owing to the method of keeping
books and doing business of the institution
have been delayed until this time in complet-
ing the same l find no discrepancies in the
records and accounts of the steward j. A.
Potter, but found his duplicate vouchers and
monthly statements kept in business like
manner. What has made the trouble and do
lay in this investigation was the manner and
way of doing business by the trustees during
the past two years. They have, during that
time, overlooked their duties as an advisory
board and have assumed the duties of super
intendent of the institution and have dis
persed several of the appropriations. In
some instances they have Ae,t no vouchers
and in no case have they furnished to the
auditor an itemZed statement for the amounts
they have drawn out OF the several funds,
thereby having no clue during the timc they
operated as to where and how the several
funds have been expended; and when placed
on The sand and asked to explain, their mem
ory fails them, and as that was, in most cases,
the only record kept by them, it leaves moth
ing whatever as basis from their records to
estimate their doings during the two years A.
Z. Colby acted Us their secretary and bust
ness manager.
During tho last two years the board of
trustees have taken out of the stewards
charge the following funds:
Fuel and Light funds sl2, 500. 90
improvements of hospital ground. $500. co
Completing hospital buildings. $500
beverage. l,OJI.UJ
Team and conveyance. e.............. i00.Vo
Building new buildings. ........... 4,000.O0
1o.ut..-... .S-f,t')u.oo
and have also duly installed their secretary,
Colby, as treasurer, superintendent of con-
strucon and purchasing agent
The money was drawn from tho several
funds on vouchers in favor of Secretary Cob
by aud certified to as correct by Secretary
Colby and the president of the board
he mo !ey was drawn on estimates by Sec
retary long in advance OF the time the money
would be needed for the purposes for Which
it was appropriated as follows:
During June. July and August, 1885, as per
Colby vouchers:
Coal, Northwestern Fuel Co, 600 TONS 1888, co
Completing and furnishing man
From the new building fund. ....... S715.SJ
From sewerage fund. I0l4 81
making total drawn in the above ninety days
on vouchers in favor OF A. L. Colby of S.
$500
For the estimates made by Colby he can
gveno explanation, simply claim ng that the
amount OF money was drawn by HIM person
ally as needed and was by him juicolis.y in
vested. Williams, who WIS president of tho
board at the time above amounts were drawn,
did not know until after the report of the
board was made to Gov. Pierce, November 80,
1856, that money had been drawn on estimates
and that 1t had boon expended as specified in
that report Van1asscl did not know tha, the
money drawn from the different funds had not
been expended for the purposes for which
they were appropriated Powers does not
know that money from special funds was used
for outside matters and Colby, on whom
Williams, Vanlassel and Powers relied to
carry out the work in the sexcral capacities as
secretary, Treasurer, superintendent of con-
struction and general financial agent for tile
institution, ca give no dctinite information as
10 how it was invested, except that it was all
by him judic .ousy invested.
In tho fuel account cut OF which in June
and July, 1885, Colby drew S5,33J for fuel
purchased from The Northwestern Fuel COM
pany, the statement Oft the fuel company shows
that Tor one year, beginning June 1, 1855, they
only sold Colby for tho institution 81, 632. G2
with of coal; but Colby again IN January,
1856, draws for 81, ,I5J worth of coal bought of
the Northwestern Fuel company, and again in
March, 1856, for sixty two tons bought of the
Northwestern Fuel company, S542 80 In all,
as per Colby vouchers, for coal from North
westel n Fuel company: